AlthoughThe Connersseason 2’s Thanksgiving episode might not seem like an obvious standout, thisRoseannespinoff outing was deservedly ranked as the show’s finest hour.The Connershad a rough start. The show began life asRoseannein 1988, running for nine seasons until 1997.Roseannewas revived to critical and ratings success in 2017, but series star Roseanne Barr was fired for racist tweets after the show’s season 10 finale. Roseanne was killed off-screen, and the show was retitledThe Conners, becoming one of the only sitcoms in TV history to kill off its own title character.
“A Six Episode Farewell Event”: The Conners Season 7 Ending Update Eases The Biggest Spinoff Concerns
The news that The Conners season 7 will be a 6-episode “Farewell event” seemingly proves that Roseanne’s spinoff will be safe from one fate.
Fortunately,The Connershas a large cast of characterswho ensured that viewers were still invested in Lanford’s lovable working-class family after Roseanne’s untimely demise. The existence ofThe Connersseason 7proves the show found its footing, earned solid ratings, and regained the approval of reviewers over the years. However, this was not easy. The first season ofThe Connerswas maudlin and downbeat, and some episodes struggled with Roseanne’s legacy. That said, one of thebest episodes ofThe Connersproves that the series managed to overcome this issue with a moving, dramatic family reunion.
The Conners Season 2 Episode 7 Brings The Whole Family Together For Thanksgiving
Becky and Jackie’s Feud With Darlene Provides The Drama
According toIMDb,season 2, episode 7, “Slappy Holidays,” is the highest-rated episode ofThe Conners. “Slappy Holidays” earned a rare 8.0 rating, and it is easy to see why upon a re-watch. The Thanksgiving special brings together a lot of what makes the series work as the titular family congregates for Thanksgiving and ends up opening old wounds in the process. The episode occurs shortly after the family learns that Roseanne and Jackie’s mother, Bev, still owns the deed to the Lanford Lunchbox. Jackie wants to reopen the restaurant, but her niece Darlene is against the risky investment.
Bev left the deed to Darlene, leaving her at odds with both Jackie and her sister Becky. This ensures that “Slappy Holidays” has even more conflict than usual as the Conner family has a substantial financial disagreement fueling their ire. WhileThe Connersseason 2 and 4’s live episodessaw the show stretch its creative muscles with an experimental format, the popularity of “Slappy Holidays” proves that the show needs nothing more than character comedy and lived-in conflict to provide a classic outing. Jackie’s anger towards Dan’s new girlfriend, Louise, only intensifies the bad blood.
The Conners’ Thanksgiving Episode Honors Roseanne (Even Without Her)
The Spinoff’s Thanksgiving Special Centers On Roseanne’s Legacy
As Darlene refuses to let Becky and Jackie reopen The Lunchbox,“Slappy Holidays” reignites resentments that have existed sinceRoseanne’s original run. Thus, despite her death before the spinoff began, Roseanne’s shadow looms large as Jackie and Darlene’s fight ultimately centers on her legacy. Darlene claims that Jackie was an albatross around her late mother’s neck, constantly needing support and dragging down the Conner family with her financial, professional, and personal drama. An outraged Jackie slaps Darlene for this insult in one of the show’s most dramatic scenes to date.
The conflict between Jackie and Darlene feels earned and lived-in, and Jackie’s outrage at Darlene’s insult is as believable as Darlene’s frustration over Becky and Jackie’s plan.
WhileRoseanne’s original final seasonwas cartoonish, over-the-top, and devoid of stakes, this sequence feels more like the show’s classic seasons. The conflict between Jackie and Darlene feels earned and lived-in, and Jackie’s outrage at Darlene’s insult is as believable as Darlene’s frustration over Becky and Jackie’s plan. There isn’t a character whose position feels uniquely unreasonable, unrealistic, or out of character, and the problem of the deed coming from Bev makes perfect sense. Bev constantly caused fights between Jackie and Roseanne throughoutRoseanne’s original nine-season run thanks to her shameless manipulation of her daughters.
The Conners Season 2 Episode 7’s Thanksgiving Story Highlights Its Storytelling Strength
Roseanne’s Spinoff Rarely Shies Away From Harsh Realities
Jackie slapping Darlene is as bleak as anything fromRoseanne’s heaviest outings, but it proves thatThe Connerscan balance comedy and drama effectively.“Slappy Holidays” is surprisingly funny despite its bleak setupand the Thanksgiving special ends on a note of hope for the dysfunctional but loving Lanford family. Although it is impossible to knowwhereThe Connersseason 7’s heroeswill end up in the show’s finale, subsequent seasons did prove that Darlene made the right choice when she decided to let Becky and Jackie reopen the Lunchbox.
Ames McNamara
Mark Conner-Healy
The Conners’ later seasons ended the story of “Slappy Holidays” perfectly as Jackie And Bev’s storyline received an unexpectedly upbeat coda. First, Jackie managed to bury the hatchet with her abusive mother Bev in season 5, episode 8, “Of Missing Minds and Fries.” Bev’s dementia diagnosis led Jackie to forgive her, only for Bev to later recover and apologize to her daughter. Then, Jackie retired inThe Connersseason 6 premiere and left the restaurant’s management in the hands of Darlene’s daughter, Harris, proving that theRoseannespinoff’s heroine made the right call after all.
